R FAMILY | MILESTONE PHOTOGRAPHER | KING GEORGE VA

I absolutely LOVE this family!!  I have been photographing them for about 5 years and every session is such an adventure.  I love seeing their girls grow and love being able to capture their special moments.  When we started brainstorming this painting session we had ideas of denim overalls, cups of paint, big brushes, and a giant canvas.  This wasn’t going to be a traditional formal posing milestone session; it was meant to be more of a fun full body immersive experience.  It was a great activity for the girls to be silly and messy and get paint all over their parents!   What could be better!!??

When it came time for the session we were battling crazy winds and our canvas was flopping all over the place, knocking over paint cups, not staying where we hung it and was def one of those moments when you just have to breathe and be like we can figure this out haha!!  Our visions had not originally aligned which happens sometimes but we’ve been working together for so long we knew we could figure it out! And to be totally honest I am SO grateful for the challenges we had at the start.  Because we worked the wind problem, nailed the canvas and it all came together organically and turned out amazing. Paint was flying, kids were laughing and crying, then laughing again, the wind was whipping, and there was a beautiful moment of connection and play and genuine fun.  Hands down one of our favorite sessions together and I loved that it was completely different than anything we have shot together before.  Here are some of my favorites!

C EXTENDED FAMILY | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | WIDE WATER VIRGINIA

Capturing Generation sessions has been a new favorite for me over the last 2 years. It is SO hard to coordinate multiple families with work schedules, kiddo schedules, travel, etc and it is really easy to say “OH maybe next year!” But when families are able to pull it off it is truly the most rewarding experience. Seeing the grandkids together and the interactions of family members that don’t get to see each other all the time is really special.

This family is also SUPER special to me as I have known them the last 10+ years and have been fortunate to celebrate and capture big milestones like engagements, weddings, birth announcements, grandkid arrivals etc! It’s been really amazing. When mama contacted me about her kiddos and grand babies coming into town we made sure to make it happen. We had a perfectly overcast day which is HUGE when you need to capture a morning session. We got to spend the morning on the water and get every grouping imaginable. It was a great time of catching up and celebrating multiple generations of a beautiful family. Check out some of my favorites!!!

BABY I | NEWBORN SESSION | STAFFORD VIRGINIA

I LOVE when a client comes back to me for Baby #2!! It truly is the biggest thank you from a client to know you not only captured their family once but they continue to come back as their family grows. The funniest thing about this session was 2 years prior to the date we photographed her big sister’s newborn session!! Talk about a fun coincidence.

We started out session outdoors for a few family photos and utilized the great weather! Then headed inside for babies solo photos! She was soooo snuggly and sleepy we flew through every set up. She woke up a bit at the end and we were also able to grab a few smiles and some open eye photos! She was such a sweet little pumpkin and cannot wait to watch her grow!!

Some of my favorite photos are below! Interested in a newborn session? Email me for more info at laura@lauralouphotography.com

V FAMILY | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD VIRGINIA

I make it no secret that Virginia weather IS BONKERS!! Summer weather is no exception and with all the wild rain we get, we also get MUD. THICK, SLIPPERY, GROSS MUD!!! So naturally we had a creek session planned following this crazy storm. When I arrived at my favorite creek spot I won’t lie I panicked!! I knew my client and I were super pumped about getting in the creek but the access points were a mess and the thought of getting down a slippery hill with 4 kids under 8 years old gave me some pause. I adventured ALL over the place and FINALLY found a spot to enter that wasn’t great but provided some foliage to eliminate a bit of the slippery situation.

When my client arrived I was really excited because they were totally up for a muddy adventure!! We shot most of the session on the mainland and made sure to capture everything we could want. Then we ventured to the creek!!

We successfully got down the muddy hill and were passing kids between the adults to safely and cleanly get everyone into the creek!!! It was AWESOME and the kids LOVED it. It was refreshing after a hot session and there is no better way to end a photoshoot with splashing in the water. And the creek looked incredible with all the texture and greenery. This session was such a blast and I am so thankful when a new client is up for my ideas and ready to get muddy for some incredible photos! We all made it back up the hill and managed to stay pretty clean!! It was fantastic! Here are some of my favorites!

If you want your own creek adventure shoot me an email: laurah@lauralouphotography.com

M FAMILY | ANNIVERSARY SESSION | FAUQUIER COUNTY VIRGINIA

I have LOVED capturing this gorgeous family for the last 6+ years!! When I met them, they were expecting their first baby and the connection we made was instant. They were seriously the cutest couple and just a joy to work with. I have captured both of their babies and yearly in between. This year however was a big one as they celebrated their 10 year wedding anniversary!! It’s amazing how time flies and when they wanted to shoot the session where they got married I was in HEAVEN. It was so special to bring their babies to where their love story began and recreate some of the gorgeous locations from their wedding photos with 2 kids in toe.

At the end of the session we even put their sweet baby girl in her mama’s wedding dress. Little did I know that Morais Vineyards had the most gorgeous glass building that looked straight out of a movie. This little lady was dazzling in her mama’s dress and high heels!! Such a little princess. <3. I loved capturing this full circle moment and am obsessed with the photos we captured!!! And to top off the best session ever we ended it with a wild champagne toast!!! Here are some of my favorites!!

RAINY TULIPS | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | NOKESVILLE VIRGINIA

Tulip sessions are one of my absolute FAVORITE things to photograph! I love the spontaneity of booking based on the field reports and trying to play weatherman while also managing multpile sessions per evening. Sounds hectic, but I kinda love that part of it. It helps me get into a totally different creative space and brings in colors that I don’t normally get to experience in Virginia, or at least not year round! Tulip sessions at Burnside Farms in Nokesville Virginia, happen for an average of 3ish weeks in the month of April. The start of their season is all dependent on temperature/rain and when in full bloom are STUNNING. Stumbling upon Burnside Farm was the biggest treat and every year I offer mini sessions during this festival of flowers!!

One of the fun things about tulip sessions, is the weather. The weather can be ALL over the place and each session day is unique based on what that forecast gives us. For these sessions I always tell my clients to expect ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. Rain, full sun, WIND, mud, bugs, and SO MANY PEOPLE.

This year I offered 2 days of minis, and both were complete opposites. I love it. The first day had a wash out the day before, and the rain stopped by late morning. I knew the fields would be muddy but the forecast showed no more rain and overcast clouds really do make for some incredible colors and textures. I had 2 families brave my forecast and the results were incredible. It was chilly, it was muddy, but those flowers were VIBRANT. I still dont know what I prefer for these sessions, both provide such incredible looks. Here are my favorites!!

BABY C | NEWBORN PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD, VIRGINIA

There is nothing sweeter than a newborn!!! And nothing more adorable than seeing proud big sisters holding and loving on their new baby brother!! I had so much fun creating lasting memories for this gorgeous family of 5 and celebrating their newest edition. Newborn sessions are always filled with joy and hope and always are an amazing reminder of all the goodness there is in the world. New life brings new adventures and so many new perspecitives on things and often when I photograph a new baby I try to incorporate some of that newness and excitement back into my own life. Our family is out of the baby stage so being able to participate in the snuggles and soaking up those quiet moments when time stands still is such a special thing. I love this job and love capturing those sweet little babies!! Here are some of my favorites from our session!

ARTHUR TURNS ONE | MILESTONE PHOTOGRAPHER | STAFFORD VIRGINIA

FIRST official outdoor session of 2025 and it was an amazing one! This sweet baby boy celebrated his first birthday and completed has milestone package with me!! I have LOVED every second of our sessions together and his first year flew by in a blink of an eye! I had the absolute pleasure of capturing his milestones every 3 months from birth and just adore this sweet baby. I have known his parents since high school and also had the joy of capturing his big sister’s first year!

I love seeing this family grow and truly am honored to have been there for every milestone for their kiddos! We did a pie smash for his big sis and wanted to keep with that theme! We were super lucky with temperature and the forecast because March can be a very tricky time in Virginia! But the weather was amazing so we moved the session outdoors and started with family photos at the creek. When it came time for the pie, Arthur wasn’t too sure if he liked the creek but staying true to a one year session, we got a fun mix of smirks, cries, and a messy face covered in blueberry pie! It was perfect! Here are some of my faves!

B FAMILY | FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHER | NOKESVILLE VIRGINIA

There's something magical about this sunflower farm that seems to bring out the best in everyone. The sprawling fields of golden blooms stretch as far as the eye can see, and the vibrant, sun-kissed petals stand in stark contrast to clouded sky. Recently, I had the pleasure of documenting one of my favorite families at Burnside Farms in Nokesville. Every year I look forward to the beauty this place brings, and all the amazing families who brave the heat for a session with me.

The best part is my own family tagged along and had Fin amazing assistant capture behind the scenes photos for me as well as video! This mama and I met in a baby class when our girls were young and have had the pleasure of photographing her family ever since. I just adore the 4 of them and am so thankful to capture their family for another year!! <3. Here are some of my favorites!

National Dog Day!!

This blog post feels very fitting that it should be shared on National Dog Day. This day normally brings so much joy and LOTS of photos, but this year it’s a very hard one for all of us. it’s a day to celebrate the fur babies in our lives, but also mourn the loss of all the pups who are no longer here.

This one hits the hardest because we sadly had to say goodbye to our beautiful pup Layla this summer. We are so thankful for every second we had with her and that we were able to celebrate her 16th-ish birthday and 10 years of her being a member of our family. She was truly a special pup and losing her has been devastating. Although we knew this day would inevitably come, it was a loss that was sudden and gut wrenching. Layla was a tough pup, who gave us one heck of a scare 8 years ago when she got really sick. But there was no way she was leaving us without a fight. And we got 8 more incredible years together. She was the queen bee of the family and brought more joy and comfort over the last 10 years and will never ever forget how truly unique of a pup she was. In true warrior fashion she rallied that last night with us, and allowed us to get a little shoot together. It is really hard to share that she is gone and these photos may not get edited for a good amount of time, but I am so grateful for them. I miss her sweet little smile, her cuddles, her fluffy squirrel tail, and literally everything about her. I even miss cleaning up the accidents and watching her snarl at any toddler that came to our house. She was truly one of a kind and this loss has hit us all in a way we won’t ever be the same.

I cannot even begin to describe the void she left, the silence in those first few days. You really get used to hearing the pitter patter of dog paws on the floor and without it nothing felt right. Even in the last few years she had slowed down and mostly slept, but her presence was so comforting and needed to all of us. But I know she hasn’t left us, she just became a little angel that would always be watching over us. The number of Cardinals we see out back each day and the little reminders of her face are everywhere. And while she is physically gone, her spirit is still here.

Before we were ready or even talking about being ready I know in my soul that our princess led us to our new family member. It was way too soon and i’m not really sure we’re even ready now, but It’s true what they say. that the dog finds you not the other way around. Layla was the glue that held our family together, the heartbeat of our family at times. And regardless of our readiness timeline, she knew what we needed to help us heal. Somehow our paths crossed with a creature that looks like Oliver and Layla had a puppy. The look of Oliver, the temperament and cuddly nature of Layla, and the playful spirit of a puppy all wrapped into one tiny package. Currently weighing in at 7lbs and officially 6 months old today. Meet Poppy.<3 The newest member of our family. She is a good girl and has fit in from day one. Happy National Dog Day to all the puppies that have changed our lives!!